Yugoslav Daily Survey, 98-02-09

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From: Yugoslavia <http://www.yugoslavia.com>

Yugoslav Daily Survey

CONTENTS

[01] PRESIDENT PLAVSIC VISITS FRANCE

[02] TACTICS OF DOUBLE STANDARDS DOES NOT LEAD TOWARDS RAPPROCHEMENT

[03] SERBS IN CROATIAN PRISON CONTINUE THEIR HUNGER STRIKE

[04] SUPERVISOR FARRAND AND SFOR OFFICIALS TESTIFY BEFORE BRCKO COMMISSION

[05] DISPUTES PREDOMINATE AT THE BRCKO ARBITRATION COMMISSION SESSION

[06] PREMIER DODIK VISITS VIENNA

[07] RS INTERIOR MINISTER CONDEMNS MUSLIM RAID ON SARAJEVO SEPARATION

[08] SOUTHEAST EUROPEAN RAILWAYS WILL COORDINATE DEVELOPMENT

[09] ANOTHER ROUND OF TALKS ON SECESSION ENDED IN BRUSSELS

[10] BELGRADE'S PRIMARY SCHOOL JOINS UNESCO

[11] TELECOMMUNICATIONS MINISTRY ISSUES TENDERS FOR RADIO AND TV FREQUENCIES

[12] NATIONAL BANK OF YUGOSLAVIA DELEGATION VISITS BRATISLAVA

[13] PREMIER DODIK DESCRIBES HIS VISIT TO GERMANY AS SUCCESSFUL

[01] PRESIDENT PLAVSIC VISITS FRANCE

Tanjug, 1998-02-08

Republika Srpska President Biljana Plavsic, who is on a several-day visit to France, will meet French President Jacques Chirac, Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine and other officials, a French Foreign Ministry spokesman told Tanjug on Sunday.

The spokesman said that Plavsic would confer with Vedrine at the Quai d'Orsay Monday afternoon.

Plavsic is scheduled also to deliver a lecture at the French Institute of International Relations on Monday evening.

[02] TACTICS OF DOUBLE STANDARDS DOES NOT LEAD TOWARDS RAPPROCHEMENT

Tanjug, 1998-02-06

The increasing calls by Slovenian economists, and recently by politicians also, for the speedy renewal of diplomatic and all other, especially economic, relations with Yugoslavia, have in this country been received with attention, although it is uncertain which are the real motives and aims of Ljubljana and its decision to announce its wishes and even the details of diplomatic communication, which is usually carried out in secret.

Slovenian officials, in their dealings with the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY), have been applying the policy of double standards for some time by saying one thing in Belgrade, and something completely different in New York, Brussels, Strasbourg and other European and world capitals.

The issue of the real motives and aims of such a two-faced policy is even more unavoidable in view of the latest moves by official Ljubljana within the relevant international organizations, where Slovenia is very active, in an attempt to realize its partial interests at the direct expense of Yugoslavia.

New "proof" about the real degree of sincerity of Slovenia's intentions to normalize relations with FRY came this week from New York. Ljubljana, together with three other break-away former Yugoslav republics, demanded nothing more than that the membership of our country in the United Nations and other major international organizations be revoked.

This conduct also came into focus at the recent session of the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly in Strasbourg where Slovenia's representative, again together with colleagues from the three breakaway former Yugoslav republics, once more made the usual obstructions regarding the succession of the former Yugoslavia.

From the start of the succession talks, Slovenia has aggressively tried, as it is doing now, to prove that real advancement in the resolution of this problem can not be made solely allegedly due to Yugoslavia's hardcore stand, although this country is insisting, with many valid reasons and arguments, on the realization of its own succession rights.

Such a position of Ljubljana, as well as the other breakaway former Yugoslav republics, is mainly the result of the unprincipled support for these states, recognized in a super fast procedure, coming from their foreign advisors and sponsors, rather than their own belief that they are right regarding this problem.

Those who are well-informed about the political situation in the territory of the former Yugoslavia would say that Slovenia's latest moves towards FRY represent only a continuation of Ljubljana's attempts to make as difficult as possible and postpone indefinitely the rights and real normalization of relations between the two countries.

At this point it is necessary to say that Yugoslavia recognized Slovenia five years ago, at which time, and later too, Ljubljana commented this with extreme irony and, when speaking about the FRY, used the words "so-called" or even "non-existent."

However, over the past five years the situation has changed fundamentally. The unjust sanctions against FRY have been lifted and our country has managed, owing to its consistently open and principled foreign policy, to normalize relations with the majority of U.N. members and with its immediate neighbours, including Croatia.

Slovenia, which in the former Yugoslavia had an annual surplus in trade with Serbia and Montenegro amounting to several billion dollars, primarily intends, in the new circumstances, to develop only two-sided economic and trade relations.

However, the conditions for mutual trade have, in the meantime, changed drastically. Now consumers in Yugoslavia have a wide range of products to chose from and are not restricted only to purchasing household appliances made in Slovenia. They are offered a wide range of products made by famous European and world manufacturers, without earlier monopolies and conditions.

Previously, many Slovenian products on offer on the domestic market were highly available since they had a monopoly and were cheaper than the same goods from abroad which were limited by high customs duties and import quotas, thus rendering them very expensive.

In view of all this, and taking into consideration facts on Slovenia's verbal advocation for the promotion of all forms of relations, but at the same time Ljubljana's practical attempts to harm Yugoslavia as much as possible in the international and all other spheres, it is clear that Slovenia intends to renew relations with our country only to the extent to secure the maximum protection of its own economic interests.

FRY is interested, starting from the basic principles of the United Nations and its Charter, as well as all other relevant international organizations, to develop relations of mutual interest with all states, including Slovenia. This, however, does not mean that such a principled orientation should be at the expense of our fundamental political and economic interests. Economic relations can not be developed separately from the overall normalization of relations and under the constant shadow of Slovenian unprincipled attacks and actions on the international scene which are aimed against FRY.

If Ljubljana comes to understand this, there will no longer be any reason not to establish the real normalization of Yugoslav-Slovenian relations.

[03] SERBS IN CROATIAN PRISON CONTINUE THEIR HUNGER STRIKE

Tanjug, 1998-02-06

A group of 18 Serbs captured during Croatian 1995 operation "Storm" and detained in a county jail in Solin near Croatia's Adriatic seaport of Split have been on a hunger strike for a week now, the Veritas Documentation Centre said on Friday.

According to reports Veritas obtained from the Solin jail, the 18 Serb convicts went on a hunger strike on January 31. The prisoners had secretly informed Yugoslav media about their intention to go on a hunger strike in a letter published in Yugoslav press on January 28.

The Serb prisoners urged that they be prosecuted by the International War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague for the crimes they had allegedly committed and thus be able to prove their innocence. After their justified request had gone unheeded, they began a hunger strike.

According to Veritas, there has been no response from Croatian judiciary or the Tribunal in The Hague even though the Serbs have been on hunger strike for six consecutive days.

The only ones visiting the prisoners are the International Committee of the Red Cross and attorneys appointed to them.

The Serbs were detained during Operation "Storm" in August 1995 only to be convicted in April 1996. Under the Croatian Criminal Law, a chairman of the first-instance court panel of judges was to open proceedings within two months after having received the indictment.

The Court of Appeals was to rule on the prisoners' appeals within a three- month deadline, but this has not been observed, either.

According to another Veritas report, the Croatian Supreme Court on Friday acquitted a Serb, Milan Janjetovic.

Several months ago, Janjetovic went on a hunger strike in a county jail in the Croatian town of Sisak, in an effort to attract media attention to his case. Janjetovic was sentenced to 14 years in prison for having allegedly organized and perpetrated crimes of genocide.

After the Janjetovic case was made public, the Croatian Supreme Court reopened the case and acquitted Janjetovic, which clearly showed that his trial had been stage-managed.

[04] SUPERVISOR FARRAND AND SFOR OFFICIALS TESTIFY BEFORE BRCKO COMMISSION

Tanjug, 1998-02-06

Supervisor Robert Farrand ended testifying before the International Commission on Brcko in Vienna on Friday, the second day of the hearing. Farrand, who began his testimony on Thursday, said that the disputed town was a sensitive plant which needed to be tended with care.

Dragoljub Mirjanic, who heads the delegation of the Republika Srpska to the session, told Yugoslav reporters he was pleased with the "professional and correct testimony" given by Farrand and other international officials.

After the Vienna session, the Commission should take a final ruling on the status of this area of the utmost strategic importance on the banks of the Sava river in Bosnia.

The hearing in the matter of Brcko's status continues over the weekend, and is scheduled to close by the end of next week.

[05] DISPUTES PREDOMINATE AT THE BRCKO ARBITRATION COMMISSION SESSION

Tanjug, 1998-02-06

The International Arbitration Commission for the geo-strategically and economically extremely important Brcko region in north-eastern Bosnia- Herzegovina, whose week-long hearing opened in the Austrian capital on Thursday amid an open dispute between the Muslim and Croat sides, resumed work on Friday.

The Croat side did not attend the session on Thursday because it declined to be in the same delegation with the Muslims. The Croat side is not satisfied with how the head of the Federation's delegation Ejup Ganic, a Muslim, represents their interests.

Another reason for the Croat dissatisfaction is that the Muslim side has settled its refugees in two formerly Croat-populated villages near the town of Brcko.

If the Croat side does not change its stand and join the hearing it will present its position and arguments in writing to International Arbitration Commission Chairman Roberts Owen of the U.S.

Opening statements were presented on Thursday by Brcko Supervisor Robert Farrand of the U.S. and representatives of the two entities, Republika Srpska and the Muslim-Croat Federation.

Each of the two sides has three days to present its case, arguments and bring forth witnesses at the hearing, which is closed to the public.

The Republika Srpska delegation believes that its arguments will predominate and that Brcko will remain part of the Serb entity, which it has been since 1992.

[06] PREMIER DODIK VISITS VIENNA

Tanjug, 1998-02-08

Republika Srpska Premier Milorad Dodik left for Vienna on Sunday to take part on Monday in the work of the International Arbitration Commission that should take a final decision on the inter-ethnic line in the area of Brcko.

Speaking at Banja Luka airport before leaving for Vienna, Dodik said the R.S. Government's stand was that the commission should decide that Brcko be part of the Republika Srpska.

Dodik is accompanied by managers of leading R.S. companies that are to discuss cooperation with partners in Austria.

[07] RS INTERIOR MINISTER CONDEMNS MUSLIM RAID ON SARAJEVO SEPARATION

Tanjug, 1998-02-07

Republika Srpska Interior Minister Milovan Stankovic has described as a barbaric act the Friday Muslim raid on the line of separation in the Sarajevo settlement of Dobrinja, which is in the Republika Srpska territory.

Speaking in Pale on Saturday, Stankovic said he would demand that Goran Vasic, who was arrested on Friday and is kept in a prison in the Muslim part of Sarajevo, be transferred to a prison in the Republika Srpska in order to determine whether he had killed Muslim Deputy Premier Hakija Turajlic in 1993, what Muslim authorities accuse him of having done.

Stankovic said he would meet with the Bosnia-Herzegovina Federation Interior Minister later on Saturday in order to resolve the Vasic case. If this should fail, however, we will engage international institutions, because if we are to build confidence, this must be the first step, Stankovic said.

Muslim-Croat police on Friday arrested Vasic and Slavisa Lala on the line of separation in Dobrinja, after which a group of protesting citizens blocked a U.N. bus carrying passengers who had crossed to the Serb part of Sarajevo from the Federation's part.

The Sarajevo cantonal police released Lala late on Friday.

[08] SOUTHEAST EUROPEAN RAILWAYS WILL COORDINATE DEVELOPMENT

Tanjug, 1998-02-06

The Group of Southeast European Railways agreed on Friday to continue promoting railway transportation and strengthening overall cooperation among Balkan countries.

Yugoslavia formally assumed on Thursday the chairmanship of the Group's meetings for the next two years.

The Group will in future focus on a coordinated development of Balkan countries' railways.

The major areas of multilateral cooperation will continue to be a coordinated development of the railway infrastructure, common tariffs, better quality of passenger and goods transportation, combined transportation, and the shortening and simplifying of border formalities.

The Salonika meeting is attended by the Albanian, Bulgarian, Greek, Romanian, Turkish, Macedonian and Yugoslav railways.

[09] ANOTHER ROUND OF TALKS ON SECESSION ENDED IN BRUSSELS

Tanjug, 1998-02-06

A Yugoslav delegation returned from Brussels on Friday evening where the task force on succession to the former Yugoslavia ended another round of talks, the Serbian Radio Television (RTS) reported. The RTS special reporter from Brussels said that it was only on the last day that some headway was made in the talks. The reporter also said that participants in the talks had agreed that an agreement might be reached soon on the basis of which the same principles would be applied in the entire territory of the former Yugoslavia in settling issues relating to archives, citizenship, old age pensions, property of individuals and companies and international agreements.

The RTS quoted Academician Kosta Mihajlovic as saying that he believed that recommendations and amendments offered should be enough for mediator to the talks Sir Arthur Watts to draft a generally acceptable text. The RTS reporter said that the recommendations made by the Yugoslav side all pertained to the Yugoslav delegation's desire that all politics should be left out of the document so as not to prejudice a final settlement, which would offer the basis for a division of assets of the former state. Therefore, the Yugoslav delegation urged that all reference to declarations by various international organizations accusing Yugoslavia and the findings of the Badinter Commission should be omitted from the preamble to the draft agreement, which should only say that the five parties to the talks had reached an agreement on certain issues, the RTS said.

An agreement on non-economic issues is to be passed at the next meeting of the task force on succession, made up of representatives of the FR of Yugoslavia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia and Slovenia.

[10] BELGRADE'S PRIMARY SCHOOL JOINS UNESCO

Tanjug, 1998-02-06

The experimental Primary School "Vladislav Ribnikar" of Belgrade has been admitted to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), as the only member from the FR of Yugoslavia, school Principal Vesna Fila said on Friday.

A total of 1,400 schools from 130 countries have been included in the UNESCO programme aimed at cooperation, exchange of experiences and development of a modern approach to teaching for the 21st century.

What makes this recognition even more important is the fact that only two more schools from the territory of the former Yugoslavia - one from Macedonia and one from Slovenia - have been included in the UNESCO programme, Fila said.

[11] TELECOMMUNICATIONS MINISTRY ISSUES TENDERS FOR RADIO AND TV FREQUENCIES

Tanjug, 1998-02-06

The Yugoslav Ministry of Telecommunications has made public tenders for granting temporary authorizations for the use of radio and television frequencies in the territory of the FR of Yugoslavia, in line with the Law on telecommunications, the Yugoslav Information Secretariat announced on Friday.

All legal persons registered for broadcasting activities can take part in the tenders. Authorizations for radio frequencies will be granted for a 12- month period and for TV channels for a 24-month period, with prospects for extension, for a fee. Applications are to be presented to the ministry within 30 days and the ministry will issue authorizations within 60 days.

[12] NATIONAL BANK OF YUGOSLAVIA DELEGATION VISITS BRATISLAVA

Tanjug, 1998-02-06

A delegation of the National Bank of Yugoslavia, headed by Vice Governor Zarko Trbojevic, ended on Friday talks with the National Bank of Slovakia in Bratislava.

The talks focused on mutual cooperation between the two countries' central and commercial banks in ways which will fully support the further development of economic cooperation between Yugoslavia and Slovakia.

During talks at the National Bank of Slovakia and with several major Slovak commercial banks, also attended by the General Secretary of the Association of Yugoslav Banks and Other Financial Institutions, Mileta Babovic, both sides reiterated big interest towards the development of comprehensive economic cooperation, as well as banks their readiness to fully support this cooperation.

This interest and support, which commercial banks can provide, have already been reflected in certain projects whose realization is beginning.

[13] PREMIER DODIK DESCRIBES HIS VISIT TO GERMANY AS SUCCESSFUL

Tanjug, 1998-02-06

Republika Srpska Prime Minister Milorad Dodik on Friday described his recent visit to Bonn as successful and useful.

Dodik told a press conference in Banja Luka that his talks with high German officials in Bonn had focused on the future financial aid for Republika Srpska's recovery and on the return of refugees.

Republika Srpska's view that conditions must be ensured for a parallel return of refugees to both Bosnian entities and for improving the standard of living was accepted, Dodik said.

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